PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTI-MICROBIAL AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITYOF OCIMUM TENUIFLORUM SEEDS EXTRACT AND THEIR ESTERIFIED DERIVATIVES

The present investigations evaluate the phytochemical screening, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities of Ocimumtenuiflorum seeds. The seeds of Lamiaceae family, which posses various healing medicinal properties were crushed to release the kernels and oil was extracted using Soxhletapparatus.Thephysio-chemical, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant characteristics of the oil determined by the standard methods. The physio-chemical characteristics showed: oil yield 11.242 g of Petroleum Ether extract and 10.33 g of Methanol extract from the total of 160g of Ocimumtenuiflorum seeds. The phytochemical screening of the oil showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, tannins, Saponins, sterols and proteins in Methanolic extract and showed absence in Petroleum Ether extract. Antimicrobial activity of extract was detected against some common microbialpathogens showed more or less active against almost all tested pathogen. The inhibition zone ranged from 21nm-25nm (Methanolic extract), 13nm-19nm (Methanolic ester) and least zone of inhibition against Petroleum ether extract. The extracts were investigated for the antioxidant activity using 2, 2 - diphenyl, 1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, The polar Methanolic extracted was found to have highest % of DPPH (89.64%) scavenging activity.